Top 3 Reasons to Not Buy a Mac for Business

Once you go Mac -you DO go back. Sorry but I just couldn't resist that pun. To make a long story short, I bought a Mac in 2009 but after a few months discovered it was not for me and ended up selling it on Craigslist and going back to Windows. I need to tell you my story because you too may have been tempted to move from Windows to Mac. If you research whats better windows or mac – you'll find that most people on the web only talk about how wonderful Macs are. I need to tell you the stuff that they don't so you can decide for yourself.

3 Things I did not like about the Mac.

1. There is no MS Outlook for Mac. This was the MAIN reason why I switched back to the Windows. The email and calendar software that the Mac uses did not suit my needs. The Mac email program is primitive next to MS Outlook.

Microsoft does have a program called ” Entourage ” but I found it difficult to use. For example, I have a very large email list that I send a personal training email newsletter to (email me if you want me to add you to my newsletter list).

I keep people on the newsletter list separate from my other contacts. So, I have 2 lists of contacts. I could never figure out how to add two separate email lists to Entourage. That meant I had to use the Apple mail program.

FYI. While I could easily move my contacts from Outlook (in windows) to Apple, it took me ALL DAY to figure out how to move my contacts from the Mac back to Windows. Tip. If you ever have to move your contacts from the Mac back to Windows, Apple has a program called MobleMe that will do it. That's what I did. Nothing else but MobileMe worked.

Apple Mail was not as good as MS Outlook. In Outlook, I could highlight one contact and press the Shift and page down buttons and highlight multiple people at once. This made sending out my fitness newsletters much easier.

In Apple Mail, I could only depress the Shift and down arrow. This meant it took longer to highlight everybody. This might sound very petty, but I found it frustrating and time consuming.

Also, I could never figure out how to get the spell checker in MS Office for Mac to work with the Apple mail. I wanted the spell checker to automatically correct my spelling mistakes (I make a lot of them!).

I also did not like the Mac Calendar program. The calendar in MS Office for Windows is far superior.

2. And then there was Quicken… There were NO SOUND EFFECTS in Quicken for Mac. If you use Quicken for the PC, you know that when you enter a transaction, you hear a sound to let you know you did something. You don't hear anything in Quicken for Mac.

You would be surprised at how much you rely on that sound to let you know you entered a transaction correctly.

3. My Quicken files (from the PC) would not transfer to Quicken for Mac (at least, I couldn’t figure out how to do it), so I lost several years worth of financial data. That may be a Quicken issue or Apple problem. I'm not sure but I want to mention this because you may find yourself in the same boat I did.

Are Macs Easier to Use?

If you currently use a PC, you will find some things difficult in Mac. I think like that PC. I don't think like a Mac. So for me, some things were different.

For example, I even had trouble setting the time on my I-Mac. It took me over 5 minutes to figure out where the on/off button was too. The button was so well flushed with the machine that I couldn't even feel it at first. For this and other reasons I think that the idea that Macs are easier is just marketing spin.

If you are in the fitness industry -or own a business, think about how you will use the Mac before you buy it. Will you use it for fun or will you use it mostly for business? For example think about:

Will the Mac software let you do what you need to do -business wise

Does your favorite software have a Mac version? Also, is the Mac version as good as the Windows version? Does the Mac version of the software let you easily import your data from Windows to Mac?

If you use Firefox for web surfing, do your favorite Firefox themes and Firefox ad-ons and extensions have a Mac version? When I had my I-Mac I noticed most Firefox Themes were for Windows.

Regardless, whatever you do, go to the Apple store and play with a Mac first. Bring questions with you so that the salespeople can help you decide if a Mac is right for you.

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Comments

Hi Harry,
thanks for the heads up on Outlook for Mac. I’m good to know they make it now.
Making time for exercise can be a challenge these days – esp in your field of law where you probably find yourself sitting for long periods of time. That said, we all need to make time for it. Here are a few ideas

1. can you install a treadmill etc in your home? if yes its easier to work out if you can do it at home before you head out to work. There is even now something called the Fit Desk http://fitdesk.net/ where you can attach your pc to your exercise bike. Related to that is the “treadmill desk” http://www.treadmill-desk.com/
These gizmos are born out of fact that just a little exercise makes a big difference in the long run.

2. Can you get an exercise buddy in your neighborhood? when we workout with someone who is at the same level of fitness, we tend to do it more. There are even websites to help people find fitness buddies.

3. You might also want to start a fitness challenge in your office so that they others in your law group can take part in the fun. Again, when we have a group helping us we are more likely to stick to it.

4. Some research shows that the #1 reason why people hire a personal trainer is that they would not show up at the gym, if they did not make an appointment. If you like working out at a gym, then making an appointment might make it easier to get the workout in. If you do get a trainer in a gym read my “Master Personal Trainer” post so you can get the right person http://joe-cannon.com/home/wp/?p=294

5. remember that you dont have to do all the exercise at the same time. for health, technically we only need a minimum of 30 minutes a day – good esp if you are just starting out. So you could do a 10 min walk in the morning and a 20 min walk at lunch.

I think you have already taken the biggest step – knowing that you need to get some exercise into your life. Now that you know that, I think making the time for exercise will be much easier.

Hi Joe,
I use Apple Mail. I agree it’s less sophisticated than Outlook, it’s ok for my needs. MS now makes Outlook for the Mac. Thunderbird by Mozilla is pretty slick and is worth looking into. But I suspect you need a very robust email client and I don’t know enough to tell you much more.

Joe,
Your reasons for giving up on your Mac have nothing to do with the Mac, it’s the software you are complaining about. Your concerns are with Microsoft and Intuit.

Mac is an operating system that is vastly superior to MS Windows, but, like any new OS will take some time to learn. The biggest advantage is stability. In got tired of crashing several times a week and losing all the work I had done. I’m a lawyer and you can imagine the frustration of drafting a 15 page brief only to have your computer crash and losing everything you typed.

I was fortunate to have a good friend who used Macs and helped me though the transition. Thus far, three years in, I have not found any limitations on what I could on my Mac. I just had to learn how to use it. There are lots of email client and calendaring programs out there with as much integration as Outlook.

Frankly your complaints sound like a person who has type II diabetes and doesn’t want to start exercising because it’s too hard. I can relate to this, because it’s how I found your website. Change takes time and Commitment.

Harry, that’s a good analogy to type II diabetes 😉 I’m really glad you love your Mac. I think I just discovered that I think more like a PC.

Ive heard that Mac was trying to make inroads with attorneys trying to get them to use Mac instead of PCs. What email client do you use that is most similar to Outlook? That was my biggest frustration when I had my Mac.

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Credentials

Joe Cannon, MS has written for several publications including The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, Today's Dietitian, and Prevention. He's been quoted in the New York Times, lectured to NASA and has been a content consultant for Dateline NBC. He's the author of the first book ever published on rhabdomyolysis and exercise.
Joe Cannon, has a BS in Chemistry and Biology and a MS in Exercise Science. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a personal trainer certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).